Atique Anam

Season opener highlights football’s ground realities

In a repeat encounter of last season’s Challenge Cup fixture, Federation Cup winners Bashundhara Kings thrashed Bangladesh Premier League champions Mohammedan by 4-1 in the curtain-raiser of the new football season at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla yesterday..

20 September 2025, 02:30 AM

Interview / ‘Modern football demands athletes’

In a freewheeling interview with The Daily Star's Atique Anam at the team hotel in Dhaka, the former West Ham United midfielder opened up about his football methodology, plans for the future, the shortcomings of the federation, men's football, and the controversies he has found himself in.

27 July 2025, 04:00 AM

'Time the officials paid back for the sacrifice of players and coaching staff'

In a conversation with The Daily Star, Alfaz Ahmed spoke about the secret of Mohammedan's success in the league and what he expects from the club in the wake of this title triumph.

18 May 2025, 09:00 AM

‘Hamza has helped us raise the level and quality of our game’

In this interview with The Daily Star, Bangladesh Football Federation president Tabith Awal spoke about both women's and men's teams and the controversies surrounding football.

7 April 2025, 02:00 AM

Bangladesh football riding the Hamza wave

When Bangladesh football team captain Jamal Bhuiyan told the press on Thursday, “It feels our [Lionel] Messi is here,” about the arrival of Hamza Choudhury, he wasn’t exaggerating.

22 March 2025, 01:00 AM

Rebel women footballers at a dead end?

The 18 senior players of Bangladesh national women’s team, who have been boycotting training since head coach Peter Butler returned to the country, seem to have shot themselves on the foot after refusing to sign contracts offered by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) on Monday.

12 February 2025, 02:04 AM

The World Cup should not be a mere extension of the IPL

For those cricket fans who have got used to enjoying the sight of batters steamrolling bowlers of all ilk over the past 65 days or so, will the forthcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies may prove to be a bit of a turn-off.

28 May 2024, 18:00 PM

Should Murshedy get away with sweeping dirt under the rug?

In stark contrast to many developed nations where people in power often relinquish their positions in face of charges of corruption or incompetence even before allegations are proved in a show of true accountability -- there is a disturbing tendency to brush aside all sorts of allegations, even after proven, under the rug by the people in power in countries like Bangladesh, which ranks among the lowest in various corruption indexes.

25 May 2024, 02:00 AM

Messi has the whole world believing

Step aside Cristiano Ronaldo, step aside Neymar. Lionel Messi is here, and he is here for business.

15 December 2022, 03:30 AM

‘Standout’ Alvarez complements his idol

There was a poignant moment at the end of Argentina’s victory over Croatia. Julian Alvarez, who scored two goals in the 3-0 victory, went to his team’s dugout and was hugged by Lautaro Martinez, who was almost in tears.

15 December 2022, 02:30 AM

With overwhelming support, Morocco ‘dare to dream bigger’

Ever since the four semifinalists were decided, the streets and buses and metros in Doha have been occupied by fans mostly from Argentina and Morocco, with a large number of fans shuttling to the Qatari capital over the last few days.

14 December 2022, 03:30 AM

Desert Fest: Two legends on collision course

Neymar departed in tears. The Brazil No 10 cried inconsolably, only to be lifted off the pitch as the pre-tournament favourites were knocked out on penalties by Croatia in the quarterfinals at the Education City Stadium on Friday night.

13 December 2022, 01:00 AM

Argentina want more of feisty Messi

Lionel Messi wasn’t available at the pre-match press conference for Argentina’s World Cup semifinal against Croatia on Monday. He wasn’t, in fact, expected to be; the PSG talisman hardly ever attends a press conference.

13 December 2022, 01:00 AM

Giroud exhibiting his mettle

As the world heads into the final week of the Qatar 2022 with only four matches left, including an irrelevant one involving the third-place decider, the focus will be on whether Kylian Mbappe can lead the French to a consecutive World Cup title or whether Lionel Messi can end Argentina’s 36-year wait for a third world title.

12 December 2022, 04:00 AM

Atlas Lions get Arab world and beyond to rally behind them

As the World Cup advances towards its climax, there has been a constant exodus of fans from countries which have already been eliminated.

11 December 2022, 18:00 PM

The Messi we never saw before

For large parts of his career, Lionel Messi has painted an image of himself as a calm individual, leaving his boots to do the talking, trying his best to deflect attention. He hardly ever attends press conferences and avoids making controversial remarks. On the pitch, his goal celebrations often remain restrained and his remonstrations with match officials minimal.

11 December 2022, 05:00 AM

The tree of dreams

Close to a hundred years after Uruguay hosted the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, the South American nations have united in their bid to bring the Greatest Show on Earth back to its birthplace to mark the centenary edition.

11 December 2022, 05:00 AM

World Cup gives life to ancient streets

Souq Wasif is probably one of the most happening places in all of Qatar as it juxtaposes the past with the present and draws thousands of tourists every day for its eateries, artefacts and old buildings. It is a set of alleys lined by centuries-old buildings on both sides, with modern skyscrapers at one end and a river near the other.

10 December 2022, 01:00 AM

Desert Fest: With Ronaldo or without him?

Despite leading Portugal to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 2006, Fernando Santos finds himself in a difficult situation with his team up against Morocco tomorrow.

9 December 2022, 18:00 PM

World Cup moulds Qatar into a new form

Qatar has never seen anything like it before and it has been waiting to see it -- the FIFA World Cup -- in flesh for more than a decade. And the tiny oil-rich nation has done its best, despite the criticism, to put on its best face to the world for this global event.

9 December 2022, 03:00 AM

Fitting stage finally set for eternal rivalry

Every four years as the FIFA World Cup comes around, people in Bangladesh and across the entire world cross their fingers for a clash between two of the most loved and decorated countries in world football -- Brazil and Argentina.

9 December 2022, 01:20 AM

Immutable and unignorable: Our passion for football and festivity

Having been a bit lukewarm to the FIFA World Cup thus far for not having my favourite team at this edition in Qatar, I was kind of sucked into the excitement of it all a fair two days after the Greatest Show on Earth began. It was the Argentina versus Saudi Arabia match on Tuesday which once again reminded me of football’s power to get people imbued despite the daily grind.

25 November 2022, 18:00 PM

Take a bow - Women in red and green

What started as an experimental idea less than two decades ago against the backdrop of heavy resistance from sections of a conservative society helped Bangladesh lift the biggest prize in South Asian football since 2003 as Bangladesh clinched the title of the SAFF Women’s Championship,

19 September 2022, 18:00 PM

Aiming for the bullseye

There are around 50-odd sporting federations in Bangladesh, some of which have already existed for over five decades. Apart from cricket, football, hockey, shooting and chess, most of the federations suffer from a lack of spotlight due to a lack of activities and interest from sponsors.

15 July 2022, 18:00 PM

Basketball crying for a home

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. Some of the biggest names and highest earners in the sporting world are basketball players. It is an Olympic sport, represented in two disciplines for both men and women.

21 June 2022, 18:00 PM

The changing landscape of match-fixing in football

When former national team striker Saifur Rahman Moni resigned from the job of a Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) outfit two weeks ago, it was probably the first time in the country that a professional football coach had taken such a step in protest of what he believes was match-fixing by its officials and players.

15 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Cabrera finds positives despite missed chances

Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera declined to blame his players, instead claimed that the team has made good progress and are adopting to his ideas, following a goalless draw against Mongolia in a FIFA friendly at the Sylhet District Stadium yesterday.

29 March 2022, 18:00 PM

Can Cabrera conjure up a convincing act?

As Bangladesh take on Mongolia in a FIFA friendly match at the Sylhet District Stadium today, there will be a lot of focus on whether the team can bounce back from a 2-0 defeat against Maldives last week.

28 March 2022, 18:00 PM